Bladewing's Fall and Rise
by Mr. Grimm
Summary: Rorix Bladewing, the crimson champion of the pits, faces his demise at the hands of Jareth, the Leonine Titan. Risen from the ashes of defeat, Rorix will search high and low to have his revenge, using dark powers not seen for hundreds of years. More to co


Rorix grunted as he was thrown against the ground. He snarled as he leapt to his feet.  
  
"It cannot end this way!" he roared at his opponent, "It will not end this way!!"  
  
With a screech, he launched himself at the towering behemoth that stood over him. Immediately he knew it was a big mistake. Once again, he let his rage cloud his mind, forgetting about the huge defensive advantage of his adversary. The mistake cost him dearly. The titan easily grabbed Rorix around the neck and threw him across the stadium. Jareth showed no glint of remorse, joy, or any emotion on his stone face.  
  
"AAARRRGHHH!!!!!!" Rorix felt his chest heave with pain and anger. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He, with all the speed and strength of his tribe, so named after their ancestor whose speed was so great that it cut the very stone of their homeland, was losing. He, Rorix Bladewing, whose sole purpose was to reclaim the honor of his people in the pits, faced his end in battle. For all dragons, there was no greater death than one which was to be honorably slain in battle. Rorix did not want to be slain, honorably or otherwise.  
  
Groaning with pain, Rorix stood his ground. It was not merely because he knew any attack against the animate statue would be fruitless, but it was because he did not think he could move at all. He felt his ribs crack in the last fall and his wings barely seemed to have the strength to open. Rorix glared up at his foe as he strode toward him. His face was completely blank, devoid of any hint of sentience. Rorix roared challenge, but it was weak and unconvincing.  
  
Jareth now towered over Rorix once again, now on the offensive. Rorix couldn't even put up a decent fight as Jareth descended upon him with a flurry of blows to his face and body.  
  
No! Rorix thought, NO! It must not end this way! I will not die at the hands of this Jareth! I must not... I cannot... fail... Rorix's last thoughts faded away as his mind darkened and everything went black.  
  
NO!!!  
  
Something in Rorix snapped. He catapulted himself up into the sky to ready himself for another attack on Jareth, but was surprised to see his changed surroundings. He was sure it must have been daylight when he faced Jareth, but now it seemed to be in the dead of night. He cast about, surprised to be standing in the middle of a bog. Standing, instead of flying. He also was surprised to see a group of very excited Cabal clerics scurrying at the shore.  
  
"I could do with a midnight snack," he thought to himself. He dashed forward at the clerics, but felt sluggish. He was slow; very, very slow. Something wasn't right. He felt weaker as well. Nevertheless, he managed to make it to shore and began to snatch up the little congregation.  
  
Afterwards, Rorix rested on the shore trying to sort out what had happened. Casually, he walked over to a pond for a drink. As he saw his reflection he was amazed and horrified. He was decayed beyond recognition. His face was a gleaming skull, his body a sack of bones. His wings managed to remain connected with membrane, though tattered and riddled with gaping holes.  
  
Rorix now understood why the clerics were scurrying at the shore. They had been raising him to a zombie, but somehow he had not bowed to their control. He smiled at the thought of a dragon being too much for even the Cabal to handle. Even so, how long had he been dead until the Cabal tried to raise him? He had grown significantly weaker and had lost his great speed. He howled at this thought. What was he without speed? The Bladewing clan had always been the fastest of all dragons on Shiv; now he was an outcast, weaker and slower than the rest of his tribe.  
  
Rorix shrieked into the night, furious at his state, furious at the circumstances, furious at Jareth. Rorix again felt something snap and could feel something happening to him. He felt a dark and fiery power overwhelm him, magnifying his strength slowly. Rorix concentrated on the strange feeling, then felt it increase and quicken. He was now stronger than he had been in life, growing yet stronger and stronger. Then, it suddenly stopped. Rorix broke under the strain and could no longer keep up the flow of energy.  
  
Rorix collapsed on the ground, feeling his newfound strength slowly leaving him. So it was a temporary strength. Rorix still was glad for it. He would track down Jareth and use his newfound powers to exact vengeance on the titan. He was not aware of how much time had passed since their battle, but revenge was one aspect of life that was completely and totally eternal. 


End file.
